Where you belong
by Amethyst Jewels
Summary: Future fic! Rei graduates high school & will prepare for the next 2 major steps in her modern life: marriage & college! She prefers something simple while Chad wants to make up for what they didnt have in the past. Will they compromise or cancel the wedding all together after butting heads? (Rated T just in case for subject matter in later chapters)
1. Chapter 1

Author's note: The song"Where you belong" by Kari Kimmel is so gorgeous &amp; fits Rei &amp; Chad so perfectly in my storylines that I decided to give them a proper send off using it. I wrote this chapter while listening to it on repeat! If you watch The Fosters on ABC Family, you've probably heard it. If not, check it out on Youtube!

This is a future fic, so it's an AU obviously. Not Crystal Tokyo future though. It's just a few years ahead in the modern time. Enjoy!

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Rei gently dabbed some sweat off of her forehead with a handkerchief, careful not to smudge her makeup as she walked through the crowd on the expansive campus, occasionally hugging a classmate or smiling at guests. She was now 18 years old, a few inches taller &amp; more mature looking than she was when she came to this school as a child. There was a good reason for that. Today was T*A* Academy for Girls' graduation day. Looking around, she looked for the familiar faces of her friends that are supposed to be meeting her after the evening ceremony. Being that T*A was a private Catholic school; the commencement ceremony was not the traditional Japanese one.

The day was broken up into two parts. The Morning Prayer service, followed by the awards ceremony breakfast was for the parents and graduates only, so Rei's grandpa was the only one there. Her father didnt show up, not the she expected him to, but he did send her a bouquet of flowers with a diamond &amp; ruby bracelet as a graduation present. Rei was pleasantly surprised to win awards for Second Honors in Religion &amp; the Future Star-Creative student award. Although she followed the Shinto religion &amp; was a Miko, she thoroughly enjoyed learning about different faiths &amp; worked hard on her studies while in school. The Creative award is a student board award that the graduating class votes on. It was given to Rei because of her passion for volunteering time &amp; organizing (or controlling, depending on who you ask) school events. The culture fest where she premiered her original music in concert was a highlight for her &amp; the school.

The evening ceremony where the diplomas were presented was outdoors on the campus grounds to accommodate for extra guests of the graduates. After the speeches &amp; walk across the stage, the graduates tossed up their hats &amp; dispersed to find their loved ones to celebrate.

Rei's guest list were a small but meaningful group; her grandfather, the Scouts that are her best friends, Mamoru, Greg &amp; of course, her fiancé Chad. Andrew was going to come but the arcade owner had an emergency &amp; was out of town tonight, so he had to stay behind to work. To make it up to her, he was closing the arcade early so they could have a private party for Rei later.

Stopping to take off her robe, she folded it over her arm &amp; sighed grateful for the early June evening breeze that cooled her sweating skin. Her choice of attire was not her usual style but it was the required dress for graduation. The school board preferred a conservative style of dress for young ladies being that they were a faith based school, so it took her a while to find the right dress because the stores she usually shopped in were trendier. Rei ended up going to a bridal boutique &amp; finding a dress on clearance; a long plain white a-line dress with sleeves. The frumpy frock was on sale &amp; that's all that mattered. At first she didn't care because she was wearing her robe over it but Lita &amp; Mina insisted upon fixing up the dress for her to make it more youthful. They cut the top of it into a strapless dress &amp; added the white lace cap sleeves &amp; open back after taking out the tulle underskirt. To make it more Rei-like, they sewed on a red rose decal on the rutched side to give the dress some more character. Rei burst into tears the day of graduation when they brought it over for her. It was a true Cinderella moment.

Feeling a heavy hand on her shoulder, she smiled &amp; turned around to immediately hug the tall, not so shaggy haired looking man known as Chad.

"Congratulations beautiful! You looked amazing walking across the stage" Chad said with a proud smile. He wore a dark gray casual business suit &amp; slicked his hair back into a ponytail to look more mature for the occasion. Rei frowned slightly as she looked him over. She had to be here early to get ready for the ceremony so she didn't see how anyone looked beforehand. Seeing her unhappy look, Chad raised an eyebrow. "It's the suit isn't it? Grandpa insisted I dressed up", he explained as he pulled down one the shirt cuffs that rode up his arm.

Rei shook her head. "The suit I can live with. But this…" Rei paused as she pulled out the ponytail holder &amp; ran her fingers through his hair from the scalp up, messing up his hair into his usual style. "…has to go! I love you just the way you are". She gave him a sweet kiss before pulling back to admire her handy work. "This is the man I'm marrying!"

Chad smiled, grateful that Rei was the type who loved him for all his faults &amp; redeeming qualities. "Thanks babe. This I can get used to though" Chad said gesturing towards the dress.

"Uh uh, no way! I love the dress because of what Lita &amp; Mina did to fix it, but I most certainly won't be wearing a whipped cream dress when we get married. It's not my color. I only wore this because it was mandatory as you can see" Rei told him as she nodded her head towards the endless sea of white dresses &amp; gowns on the lawn. "When we go to city hall, I'll probably just wear a nice party dress or something".

At the mention of city hall, Chad took a step back. "City hall? You don't want a real wedding? Like cake, dancing &amp; all those other…dresses &amp; things?" He may not be wedding savvy but he knew girls liked to have big parties &amp; costume changes.

Rei thought for a moment as they started walking towards the stands then shook her head. "No it's fine. Maybe back in the day when we were who we used to be, I would have. Now we can't afford to. I don't want my father to pay for it, I certainly don't want my grandpa to go broke over it &amp; we really don't have a lot of people to invite. It doesn't matter about the party or clothes. I just want to be with you. I figured we could go to city hall &amp; go out to a restaurant. That seems the most logical given that I'm about to start university &amp; we don't have much money to spare".

Chad stopped their walk &amp; pulled her in front of him. "After all we've been through; I think we deserve the chance to celebrate our moment. Just hear me out" he said seeing her about to interject. "My parents want to pay for the wedding. It came up in conversation this week when I was telling them about your graduation. It doesn't have to be expensive. We can have the ceremony &amp; reception at the shrine, so that's free. All we have to really take care of is food, entertainment, our clothes &amp; the honeymoon". Rei couldn't help but notice he emphasized the last word.

Smirking up at him, Rei hugged his arm &amp; looked him in the eye. "Why do I have the feeling you're thinking more about the after wedding festivities than the actual ceremony?"

Blushing a bit, Chad pretended to be nervous &amp; shifted on his feet. "Come on Rei! How much longer do you think sneaking to my room &amp; running back to yours before grandpa wakes up will work?" The former knight laughed wildly as he ducked a fist meant to silence him in case anyone they knew heard them. "I'm kidding! Though I admit, it's an added bonus. Once we're married &amp; we renovate the house to make my room bigger, it won't be a problem. Then we can save your room for the kids"

Now it was Rei's turn to blush &amp; look incredulous. "Kids?! Whoa whoa", the princess said holding up her hands in a stop motion. "Slow down there. I literally graduated high school 10 minutes ago. Let's get past the wedding &amp; college before we start changing diapers. I want to enjoy ourselves as a couple first. We didn't get that the first time around."

Chad nodded in agreement. "That's true. It was a bit of a whirlwind. And I was only half serious, you know. I know you want to finish school &amp; establish yourself first. I'm almost running the daily shrine work now &amp; doing some side work teaching martial arts, so I'm all set. Whenever you're ready to change things, I'm there. Ok?"

Rei smiled &amp; shed a small tear hearing his words &amp; held Chad's hand to her cheek after he reached up to wipe it away. The past 3 years with him was full of more love &amp; life than she had in her 17 years previously &amp; in the lifetime before. Rei missed what they had previously in their first lifetime, but having him back with her memories made her whole again &amp; she savored every day. They weren't perfect by any means. They argued (mainly due to Rei's stubbornness but she was working on it), they made up, they were different yet the same but at the end of the day, they were right where they were meant to be. This is where they belonged, together. Standing on her tippy toes, she kissed him gently &amp; looked into his perfect blue eyes.

"I'm so lucky to have you. Now let's get going! We have to find our friends &amp; get to that party!" Rei grabbed his hand &amp; they started back towards the stands to find the group now that the crowd was thinning out. "By the way, if you were still half serious about the kids part, we'll have plenty of practice being an aunt &amp; uncle in a few months".

Chad's eyebrows came together trying to figure out what she meant. Someone they knew was pregnant? Then it clicked, Usagi &amp; Mamoru got married rather quickly a few weeks ago after her own graduation in a large but hastily thrown together wedding. That explains why she was eating everything in sight…well…more than usual!

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Don't freak out, they will have their wedding! This was just the intro to that part.

I don't know how Catholic schools in Japan have their commencement ceremonies, so I modeled it from mine from Junior high. We had a morning mass &amp; awards ceremony breakfast where the 7th graders served us (&amp; yes, I actually did get second honors in religion. I was shocked!) &amp; that night we had the walk in church where we got our diplomas. It was awesome! To think that was 14 years ago, I graduated high school 10 years ago &amp; next month, I have another college graduation. Damn I'm old! LOL. White was not my color either. I'm wearing a gray &amp; black dress with gray ankle boots to my ceremony next month. Yeah I know, boots in the summer? Whatever, they were on sale &amp; they're cute!

Happy graduation to those graduating in May &amp; June! Enjoy this special time in your life!


	2. Chapter 2: Wedding Mania

Author's note: I actually had this written up for like 2 weeks. Don't kill me. I have major personal issues going on that have to be settled. I was surprised I had any inspiration at all. The most important thing is the chappie is here!

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Rei was getting frustrated _very _quickly over her wedding plans. She officially declared herself insane for trying to plan a wedding while getting ready for college. Her college plans were already finished long before she graduated 2 months ago. She's registered at Tokyo University in the music program. She's doing a double major studying to be a music teacher with a specialty in performance &amp; religion. All she was doing now was finalizing payments &amp; getting her books &amp; ID.

Her wedding planning however was anything but smooth. Everyone &amp; their mother (literally) was handing her ideas, suggestions, color swatches &amp; everything else that deals with weddings. Her room was covered in untouched boxes, wedding magazines &amp; fake flower samples. Most of which will go into the sacred fire if Rei had her way.

After talking with Chad's parents over dinner a few weeks ago when they visited, she finally conceded &amp; decided to have a small shinto ceremony with a reception at a local hotel to accommodate for the extra guests coming from Chad's side of the family. He may be an only child in this time but he had a large extended family. The cousins Rei met on their ski trip a few years ago were very nice to her, so she didn't mind it TOO much. As long as it wasn't overly formal &amp; traditional.

Today was bittersweet for Rei as she was going to do her wedding dress shopping. This was one of many times she wished her mother was still here. It would have been a day of laughing &amp; crying while bonding over Rei's future life as a wife. At first Rei wasn't going to go to the store at all &amp; just wear one of her good dresses but Chad wanted her to have a special dress for the day that they would hopefully pass down to one of their daughters, so she relented.

The only scout who wasn't busy on the day Rei selected was Makoto &amp; she was all too happy to accompany Rei to her appointment. It seemed fitting since they both dealt with parental loss &amp; know the ache they will feel deep within on the happiest days of their lives.

After making breakfast &amp; leaving it for grandpa &amp; Chad, Rei picked her purse up off the counter &amp; rushed out the door to meet Makoto by the train.

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The bridal store Rei found online was based in downtown Tokyo's upscale shopping district but still within the budget they had allotted for clothes. It was specializing in selling western gowns, which is what she wanted for her reception. The traditional wedding kimono would be for the first set of pictures &amp; the ceremony.

Grandpa had some money set aside starting from when Rei first stayed with him &amp; splurged on a red silk kimono with gold sakura detailing on the back &amp; side. It cost well over $1,000 but he insisted on keeping with the tradition of getting a beautiful kimono for Rei, especially since she was his only granddaughter. Rei burst into tears seeing the garment when he came into her room with the box. He was &amp; still is more of a father to her than the busy politician that Rei doubted would show up to her wedding. And even if he did, Grandpa was conducting the ceremony &amp; getting the father/daughter dance.

When Makoto &amp; Rei got to the shop, all Rei was was a sea of white fabric surrounding a pedestal in front of a mirror. Just what she didn't want. Wearing white when it was required was one thing, but not that she has a say, it was NOT happening.

"Welcome to the Heaven Sent Bridal Boutique!", the chipper sales lady said as she bowed from behind the counter. The short lady had graying black hair &amp; wore a pink &amp; gray uniform with a "owner" tag pinned to her right shoulder. "My name is Mei &amp; I will be helping you today! You must be Hino-san! We spoke on the phone yesterday morning".

"It sure does look like heaven with all these white dresses", Makoto muttered sarcastically.

Rei cleared her throat a bit to tell Makoto not to be rude to the lady. "Yes that's me. It's nice to meet you Mei. Please tell me you have something other than white for bridal gowns….".

Mei smiled &amp; nodded eagerly. "Oh yes certainly. Ever since celebrities started wearing colored &amp; patterned dresses, we found many girls wanted to emulate the style. Is there something in particular you want?"

Not wanting to sound indecisive, Rei thought it would be best to have a broad description ready &amp; see what she finds. "Well this will be for the reception because I'm having a Shinto wedding ceremony. I'd light a floor length dress, nothing poofy, so maybe an A-Line or empire waist style would be good. Sleeveless &amp; preferably red."

Mei nodded &amp; took down the description on a notepad she pulled from her pocket. "I think we have a few dresses you may enjoy. And is this lovely young lady your maid of honor?"

Makoto smiled &amp; shook her head. "She's not doing bridesmaids &amp; I do have a dress but I came along to help her pick a dress &amp; maybe find some shoes".

"Oh, well the shoes are on the wall over there &amp; I'll go get some dress selections together while you wait", Mei said before going into the back room.

Mei came back with about 6 different dresses in various shades of red. Some of them weren't A-lines but not overly poofy, so Rei decided to give them all a try. After a while, she felt like the Goldilocks of gown shopping.

The first dress was nice but the heavy bottom made Rei look like she belonged on top of a cake. The next one was nice but was too low cut in the front. Makoto jokingly said in that dress, she should jump out of a cake! The third one was pretty but Rei wasn't sure if she wanted sequins on her dress. It made the outfit look more club like.

The fourth dress was THE ONE. It was a simple strapless red lace slip dress that had a small train &amp; tied at the back. It seemed to be a second skin on Rei &amp; flowed gracefully as she walked. There was also a set of small hooks hidden under one of the back lace panels to pick up the train when she wanted to dance. Rei also got a confirmation that she needed to get it when Makoto was in tears &amp; just smiling when she came out of the fitting room.

Running her hands over the fabric felt like a dream come true….until she looked at the price tag. This dress was hand dyed lace over silk, so it was almost double what Rei had saved up to spend. She was crushed but looked in the mirror to weigh her options. Maybe if she cut back on some other aspects of the wedding, she could afford the dress but that would be incredibly selfish.

Mei noticed Rei's look when she looked at the tag &amp; smiled a bit. Being the owner of the store, she could take liberties with the prices &amp; she often did when she saw brides had financial difficulties. After all, a wedding is a special time in a girl's life &amp; everyone deserved the dress of their dreams.

"Oh dear!" Mei exclaimed in mock horror. "My husband forgot to update the tags. Ignore this price, this dress is on sale for the summer!". Taking a sharpie out her pocket, she crossed out the price &amp; wrote "$539" on there, making the dress a quarter of what the cost want.

Rei nearly fell off the pedistal. "You're kidding! That puts me under budget! I didn't think it would be that much cheaper".

"Oh yes, this dress has been here for a while waiting for a special owner, so it has a special price. If you'll change your clothes, I'll have the dress wrapped by the time you're ready to leave." Mei said with a smile.

Sensing what was done here, Rei gave the woman a long hug &amp; kissed her cheek. "Thank you so much!"

The shop owner smiled again &amp; watched Rei go into the fitting room to change. "Ah…I love the wedding business…."

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**I've been watching a lot of wedding stuff lately, so that may be why I went all sentimental here. Time for a vow renewal. You can do that as a newlywed, right? LOL**

**I think personally out of all the scouts, Makoto &amp; Rei are (or should be) the closest because they have a similar history of personal tragedies &amp; having to grow up faster than their peers, which is why I had them pair up to go shopping. Like a sister bond kind of thing. How do you think it worked out? Let me know! :)**


	3. Chapter 3: Fate remixed

Author's note: Ok, so….remember when I said I was stuck on how to continue this story? This chapter is NINE pages long! I couldn't believe my eyes when I finished editing! I finally got the middle I wanted so now I have to rework the ending due to all the changes I made! LOL, oh the joy of writer's problems. Forgive any errors &amp; oversights. I haven't slept in almost 2 days. Lately I've been going back &amp; editing what I missed anyway.

So yeah, since Frozen is the only way to keep my son calm, I inadvertently put in a Frozen song reference in here. Cursed ear worms! Also, I'll give a virtual cookie to whoever can guess what Sailor Scout song reference I made in here too…also inadvertently! Enjoy!

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Chapter 4: Fate remixed

"Rei, come here", a tall slender woman dressed in a strapless red ball gown said holding out her arms in the corner of the nursery.

"No...I don't want to", a small voice said from behind a silk screen.

The woman knelt down, puffing out her dress in the process &amp; appearing like she was sitting on a crimson cloud of silk. She smiled at the sound of the timid voice &amp; clapped her hands. "Come on my sweet girl. Let me see how pretty you look".

The little girl sighed behind the screen &amp; walked out slowly. She was wearing her first ball gown. It was a short sleeved ankle length silk dress similar to what the older woman was wearing, only hers showing off her satin slippers &amp; black tights. The dress made the 7 year old girl look like a miniature Queen, which is fitting for the heir to the kingdom.

Queen Miya smiled brightly at the pretty sight in front of her. Beckoning her daughter to come closer, she gave her a hug when the Princess toddled over then began fixing the mop of curls on her head. "Oh my, you look so beautiful! Why are you so shy?"

"I've never been to a formal party before, mama" Rei explained, her little voice sounding nervous. "And why is it for me anyway? My birthday was months ago but no adults other than you &amp; father were there".

"This is a special day, my darling! This is your Investiture. Your father is going to formally proclaim you the heir apparent of Mars" Queen Miya told her.

"Inves…tititure?" Poor Rei was confused &amp; stumbled over the new word.

The young queen smiled &amp; sat on a lounge chair &amp; patted her lap. Rei ran over &amp; plopped down hugging her mother while waiting to hear the explanation.

"Investiture", Queen Miya repeated slowly. "It's like a coronation except the reigning monarch, in this case your father, puts the crown of the heir apparent on the first in line of the throne in a formal ceremony. And the reason why it's very special this time is because you're the first girl born to be queen. Before you, the king had to have a son to pass the throne on to. But when you were born, your father told his council that he was changing the succession laws. For many of the nobles, this will be the first time they see you because it's your official debut as a lady."

The little girl's eyes grew wide with fear &amp; wonder. Rei had no idea that while she practiced her scroll writing, jump rope &amp; mothering her dolls, she was nearer to the crown than she thought. Aside from living in a castle with servants, she led a fairly normal life; attending school &amp; playing with children her own age. And despite her royal duties, her mother was a constant presence in her life. The new life ahead of her sounded scarier than going to school on the first day.

The queen patted Rei's back to calm her nerves &amp; swatted a curl dangling by her nose. "You will be fine. You won't have to say anything &amp; the ceremony isn't that long." She then busied herself with fixing Rei's hair again to prep a place for the crown to rest comfortably when she felt little hands stop hers. "Yes dear?"

Rei looked down at her lap for a moment, not sure whether she should mention the dreams she's been having to her mother. It was an extraordinary sight to see but it frightened her as well. Being so little, Rei couldn't begin to fathom all that lies ahead of her, so she needed her mother's acceptance to make her feel better.

"Mama" Rei started "….what if...it never happened?"

"What dear? You becoming queen?" her mother asked.

Nodding slowly Rei began to tell her mother the story in her dream. "Well… Yes. I had a dream...well I've had the same dream a lot lately. I see a lady in a short dress, She's tall, dances in fire &amp; talks to spirits. She held a great power. Not ruling power like father, it was magic. And last night, I saw her face for the first time...&amp; I realized...she's ME! But an older me. I always felt like I was meant to do something but I don't know if this was it or what you &amp; father want."

The Queen looked surprised at her daughter's sudden serious demeanor &amp; story about the dreams she's been having. Rei was always mature for her age but this was on a whole different level. She didn't want to dismiss Rei's nervousness of the ceremony or shoot down the dream she's been having, after all there are lots of things that can't be explained with logic but she had to say something to comfort her beloved daughter.

Hugging Rei close to her, she kissed the top of Rei's head &amp; looked down at her. "Rei, you are more than a crown &amp; you ARE destined for a great many things. There will be many forces in the universe that will shake your faith, scare you or work against you. But one thing that will never change is that you will have a proud mother. No matter if you become Queen of Mars or become a...fire dancing ghost talking lady."

The Princess giggled at her mother before springing up &amp; grabbing her hand. "Ok Come on! The party's starting! I wanna tell Princess Serenity about it too! Did you see the pretty broach her mother got for her birthday?" Rei said excitedly as her mother lead her downstairs to the ballroom.

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Rei sighed in her sleep &amp; awoke slowly, half expecting to open her eyes to the red marble ceiling that was in her room on the Mars palace. Sometimes after having a good memory return, it felt like she's back home, ready to take on her royal duties &amp; plan the real wedding she was supposed to have a thousand years ago. Seeing the rock band posters &amp; screen doors of Hikawa shrine made her heart sink a little. Not because she hated the life she has now, but it does bitterly remind her of the immeasurable losses she suffered in two lifetimes.

How can she get married, be a wife &amp; student when she could barely keep the simplest of things in order &amp; have peace amongst her soon to be family &amp; friends. Aside from picking out her dress, every choice has been an argument or blow out in epic proportions. It was starting to remind her of the Hatfield-McCoy feud she ready about in her American history class.

Then in the middle of all that, Rei began stress eating to cope with it all &amp; put on a few pounds...that is until she found out it wasn't stress. The stress was actually a small spark of life that managed to sneak up on the couple during a summer getaway to the mountains Chad surprised her with after graduation. It feels as if history was repeating itself all over again &amp; it shook Rei to the core. She's still a Scout! What if they have to fight again &amp; she lost her life &amp; her child's once more? This time Chad can't save her (or so she thinks) &amp; what scares her the most is feeling like she has to hurt Chad to save him &amp; their baby.

Rei had to make a decision fast as the "few extra pounds" is starting to morph into telltale "I'm pregnant!" belly. Lucky for her she had been busy with wedding planning, her school &amp; Chad with his teachings that he hadn't noticed the change in her figure. Combined with autumn approaching, the extra layers hides her secret well. The only person who knew of her condition was Usagi, naturally. Even though they can be polar opposites, at times they are the closest in the Scout group as they had been when they were princesses.

Ghosting a hand over her midsection, she thought of what her &amp; Chad's lives could have been like in 6 months. This room would be the new nursery, decorated red &amp; gold like her old childhood room on Mars. A crib in the corner, the rocking chair by the window with a perfect view of the stars at night &amp; the sunrise during the day. Chad holding her while Rei held the precious bundle that is their love in the flesh. But each time she thought of that moment, it was overlaid with the battle of the moon kingdom morphing into 21st century Tokyo &amp; seeing all of her loved ones dying slowly at the hands of whatever evil the Negaverse sent their way. Then Rei dying last, cradling her stomach in a last desperate attempt to protect her baby.

"It's better this way", Rei quietly mused. "I could let him down easy, take studies abroad &amp; raise the baby on my own". That vision is always the safest &amp; easiest, even if the most lonely. The curse of her powers is not being able to change the past because it's limited but worrying which future is right because it's infinite &amp; ever changing. No matter what "ending" she choses, Rei will endure some form of heartbreak.

Steeling her nerve, Rei gets out of bed, putting on her thick winter robe to cover her budding belly under her nightshirt &amp; walks to Chad's room. Standing outside looking at the oak door, she felt her will crumbling but she knew she had to keep up the facade in order to convince him that she was right. They already endured so much pain, it would be better to spare themselves more torture. He will fight her on this, she knows that without a doubt but being the more mature one in the relationship, she HAD to persuade him.

Sighing, she ran the speech she prepared in her head &amp; tried to convince herself to stick with it no matter what. _'Conceal, don't feel, put on a show. Don't let him in, don't let him see'._ Nodding to herself, she knocked on the door.

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Chad had just gotten out of the shower &amp; was toweling the excess water out his hair when he heard the knock. He had an early morning training class &amp; worked up quite a sweat. He was hoping to be done before Rei got up &amp; surprise her with a date day. They both have been so busy since the end of the summer that they sometimes only saw each other in passing between the classes they both were in &amp; temple duties.

He knew it was Rei because Grandpa was out for the day, so he opened the door, not worried about being bare. "Good morning, sweetie", Chad greeted her with a kiss. He frowned when she barely returned the motion &amp; seemed to look like she was on the verge of a breakdown. He guided Rei into the room &amp; wrapped the towel around his waist before addressing her again. "Rei, what's the matter? Is everything ok?".

Rei could feel herself wanting to cave &amp; keep going like nothing was wrong but she forced herself to see the memory of him dying in her arms in the past &amp; getting attacked in the present time as proof she was right in her actions. "I can't do this anymore…" she uttered in a low whisper.

Chad blinked for a moment, wondering what she was talking about. Thinking she meant the separate bedrooms, he waved a hand &amp; smiled. "If that's what you're worried about, we can move tour stuff in now. I've finished refitting the room &amp; the bigger bed is coming soon. Grandpa pretty much knows we share my room while he's away so I don't think he'll care".

Feeling exasperated at his naive nature, she snapped under the pressure she mentally built up &amp; started screaming. "I meant US, Chad! I cant do this relationship anymore!". Once the words flew out her mouth, she wanted to vomit for a different reason. The words came out harsher than she meant &amp; the look of hurt &amp; confusion on Chad's face was enough to break her spirit if she wasn't trained to take so much.

Chad was so shocked that he couldn't form a sensible word. He could feel the world slipping out from underneath his feet for a second time &amp; the desperation to grab onto it &amp; wrestle for what they deserve again. Only this time it's by the hand of the love of his life &amp; not an evil force.

"Wait..no…NO! WHY?!" Chad's ability to create words failed him as he looked at her unyielding form. He ended up grabbing her arm to keep her rooted in her spot while his mouth tried to catch up with his mind. "Rei, whatever the problem is, we can work it out. That's what people do, not let things slip away. I know we've…I've been busy lately but only because I'm trying to get things for the wedding &amp; house in order. If that's what it is…-"

It's not..", Rei cut him off. "Look just…trust me as you always have. I've seen the future &amp; lived the past. Things will work out for the best, you will see in time. I'm not saying we can't be friends, we just can't get married." She focused on a stain in the carpet rather than his face because she knew if she looked in his eyes, that would be the end.

"Friends? We couldn't do that the first time &amp; you want to do this now? After we've made love, pledged to protect the world &amp; be partners, you want to be friends? There's no going back from all that!" Chad's voice was now so loud, the crows outside the window were flying off the sill at the noise. "Damn it Rei, you can't even look me in the eye, so I know it's a fucking lie! Tell me the truth!"

_'Don't feel, don't let it show. **DONT. TELL. HIM!**'_ Rei mentally beat herself to try &amp; keep calm &amp; let him vent so she could just leave &amp; avoid it all.

"Rei, for the love of Mars, **TALK** to me!" Chad begged again lifting her face to meet her purple orbs that were pouring tears.

For the second time that morning, Rei snapped. Jerking her arm away from him, she stepped back &amp; glared at him. "I don't owe you an explanation, Hogasha! My word is the law, not yours!".

Chad was breathing heavily but felt it fade a bit hearing Rei call him by his past family name. He may not be as spiritually aware as his other half but his own intuition tells him whenever an issue from the past is bothering her &amp; that they needed to work on it. He softened his expression &amp; took a small step towards her, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Kumada…."

Rei's form visibly relaxed as she heard the name but she looked confused. She was so worked up that she couldn't focus &amp; figure out what he was saying. "What?".

"My last name is Kumada. Hogasha was my family name in the past. That's what's nothing you, isn't it?" Chad left the question open so he wouldn't push her away with too much prodding. The past was still a sensitive subject for both of them, so whenever the topic comes up, he lets Rei lead the conversation.

Turning away from him, Rei started pacing the room, pulling at her hair &amp; feeling frustrated that she couldn't get the words out. Her princess self tends to emerge when she can't get her modern self under control. The training &amp; disciplines are similar to her miko self in the present time but there are somethings that a princess was better at than a shrine maiden &amp; when she needed an air of maturity &amp; prestige in a sitation, she mentally becomes her past self but that can present a problem, like how she can't talk now to the person that knows her better than anyone else.

"I…it's everything! Your dad &amp; grandpa are fighting over the Shinto ceremony because the temple isn't grand enough. I'm sick from eating cake samples everyday &amp; your mother &amp; Makoto are arguing over the flower choices!" Not knowing what to bring up first, Rei threw out the superficial problems she was going through now to try &amp; throw him off the heavy stuff.

Chad wasn't convinced in the slightest but he decided to play along to keep her here &amp; try to pinpoint the real issue. "So….what's wrong with mom's flower choice?".

Rei stopped pacing &amp; glared up at him. "Calla lilies are FUNERAL flowers! I don't want to think about death while we're getting married!"

"That's it….death, you're scared something will happen again?" Chad probed gently, sensing the problem by the way she emphasized the word funeral. "Did you have another nightmare?

Rei looked him in the eyes finally for the first time during their encounter &amp; swallowed hard. "It's not a dream, it's fate. Everything is mirroring the past &amp; I'm trying to stop it. Why don't you let me do something my way for once?!".

Feeling like she was going to run again, Chad sprinted forward &amp; crushed her in a fierce embrace. He wouldn't give up, not even as she beat her fists on his arms &amp; chest. "Because I don't believe it! You yourself always talk about how fate is part destiny &amp; part what you make of it! If something does come up…if something did try to hurt us or separate us, I will fight to the death to protect you. Knight or not, I still kept my oath to you".

"That is exactly what I DON'T want! I want you alive, damn it!" Rei cried, finally breaking down. "I…I hate that it took so long &amp; so much for us to finally get to this point &amp;…I just really miss my mom! Both of them!" The confession was physically taxing on her too as she felt her legs give out from under her.

Chad's fighter instincts kicked in quickly &amp; held her up while he moved over to the bed &amp; sat her down in the middle before scooting over to sit by her. "I know sweetheart…I really wish I could have met your mom in both times. Sometimes by the way you tell stories, I think your mom was reincarnated in the modern time to watch over &amp; guide you again." He took her hand &amp; kissed it gently before continuing. "I also know it's not easy living the past &amp; the modern time while seeing bits of what could be the future. But fate is so….beautiful, wonderful, cruel &amp; benevolent. It does things for a reason to shape us into who we were destined to be. I may not be as in sync with spirits as you are but I truly believe your mom is always with you. Trust in her…&amp; in us. Second chances like these are rare. We have to fight to protect what we have".

Rei absentmindedly touched her stomach hearing the last part but she nodded in agreement. "I know….I was just so scared. I'm not usually a worrier but the dreams &amp; premonitions got to be too much. I'm so sorry…I didn't mean to hurt you, Chad."

Her knight smiled &amp; kissed her forehead. "There's nothing to apologize over. Just promise you will open up &amp; talk to me instead of letting things ride or pile up until you get into a state like this. It's not healthy. I can see the stress is getting to you. I hope I don't get punched for saying this but when you get mad lately, you eat everything in sight!" Chad told her.

The baby! How would he react now knowing she was pregnant again? The times are different sure but nothing can prepare you for something as big as this. After how things went this morning, Rei decided to be blunt to tell the news.

"That's not stress eating, that's a baby. I wasn't sure if I should tell you but I ended up getting pregnant in the summer during our vacation to the mountain resort" Rei said, wondering if he will take the news like he did the first time.

"A baby?" Chad asked, feeling a smile creep up on his face before jumping up &amp; shouting out his excitement. "We're having a baby? It's just like before but it's now happening for real! What is it? How did you find out? When is it coming?"

"Whoa whoa!" Rei held up her hands, smirking. "First off, you lost your towel".

Looking down &amp; seeing his naked form, Chad quickly grabbed his boxers off the back of the desk chair &amp; slid them on. "Well you're pregnant, so we all know you've seen it before!"

"Oh haha, you got jokes now?" Rei teased. "Anyway, I don't know the gender yet. I'm just over 4 months, so I won't know until my next appointment. I just found out a few days ago. With all the work we've been doing, I didn't noticed I missed my periods. My pants squeezing the life out of me was a sign I should check".

Chad gently laid Rei back onto the bed opened her robe. Lifting up her nightshirt, he saw the soft bump that their child was nestled in. IT's way different this time. It was more pronounced here that it was in the past when they found out there were going to be parents on the Moon. Looking to Rei to see if it was ok for him to feel, she nodded &amp; he placed his large hand on her growing bump. It was soft &amp; squishy &amp; he felt a faint movement he likened to fish brushing past your legs in water when you go swimming. "It's moving!"

Rei smiled &amp; put her hand over his. "I think that's gas. It's too early to feel anything yet."

"Still, the thought is exciting!" Chad exclaimed, still in awe. His expression grew serious for a moment before looking back at her. "Were you going to leave &amp; not tell me about the baby?"

Rei felt bad again because the truth was exactly what he said. "I was but…I was fast losing my nerve. I probably wouldn't have made it past the airport. You're part of me, I wouldn't be able to leave you. Especially now."

"I'm glad….I'm so glad" Chad murmured as he laid down next to her &amp; hugged her close.

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A/N: Oh &amp; yeah, I randomly a name for Rei's past mother. It's a Japanese name meaning Sacred house. I'm not sure of the pronunciation though. I've heard "My-ah" &amp; "Mee-ya". I personally like the latter. I might keep it on my girl names list for future kids!


	4. Chapter 4: Contentment

Wow, so we've come to the holiday season in the States! And it's only been a little over 3 months since I updated. I'm getting better! I sometimes had stories sit for well over a year before I got plot bunnies!

I don't regard this as a filler chapter as it does have important stuff in it but I figured you guys needed a break from past life drama. Haha! Enjoy!

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Princess Rei finished tying the last bow in her hair &amp; let the bundle of curls fall down the side of her face. The Moon Masquerade ball is tonight &amp; she finally found the strength to get out of bed &amp; get ready. Being a few weeks pregnant, she was starting to feel the affects of it now, mainly the extreme tiredness and nausea but thankfully no vomiting. That would be unbearable &amp; hard to explain. Being a royal, she simply played her "condition" off as stress from recent events &amp; planning her wedding.

Standing up &amp; taking a few steps back, she looked at her figure in the mirror. Her dress was a periwinkle empire waist costume dress made of chiffon with an attached cape &amp; a sparking unicorn horn tiara. Her puffiness is well concealed in this guise but she knew she was running out of time. She doesn't regret her having a child sooner than she thought but rules of society would frown upon her having a baby out of wedlock.

"All because I'm a Princess….", Rei said to herself. Somedays she hated society. It put unfair expectations on her, first as a woman &amp; secondly as a royal. In many cultures, royalty are revered just as much as gods &amp; are seen above ordinary people. Even though royals need air, nourishment and bleed as everyone else.

Rei thought back to when she was younger &amp; told her mother about the 'dancing fire lady" she had seen in her dreams. She knows now, seven years later, that the fire lady was Sailor Mars. She was picked for this role specifically by Queen Serenity &amp; valued her place more here than as a Princess. Somedays she wondered if she was just meant to play this one part &amp; not the other. But there's no way to separate the two…was there?

Shaking her head, Rei picked up her lace fan &amp; checked the clock in the corner of the room, which read 7pm. The ball was just beginning &amp; Chad would be waiting for her at the head of the main staircase. Rubbing her stomach for a moment, Rei smirks.

"I best enjoy this last hurrah before my life gets VERY busy, hmm?", she says looking down. She was looking forward to motherhood already.

Silently opening her eyes, Rei checks the room again &amp; sighs with relief as she sees she's in her &amp; Chad's room at the Shrine. She's been having more past memories break into her dreams since being pregnant &amp; often times she would still wake up confused as to which lifetime she was in. Thankfully Grandpa wasn't around to hear her mumbles. It would be hard to explain to him, even though he had a tie to it, in a way. Rei doesn't like to remember that part of her connection.

Rei pushed herself up &amp; was promptly greeted with a flurry of kicks. She patted the spot where she felt the baby's foot &amp; smirked when it moved away. "Good morning to you too!".

Winter is just wrapping up &amp; so is Rei's pregnancy. Just before Christmas, they found out their baby was a girl &amp; she would be arriving at the end of March or early April, depending on her time table. The doctor told Rei that first time moms are often late, so she shouldn't worry if she wasn't in labor on her exact due date. Despite the aches &amp; pains of pregnancy, Rei was thoroughly enjoying her time. She did have to take a leave from absence from school early because she was getting uncomfortable sitting too long and the commute made her exhausted before the day began but thankfully she was able to get online classes so she wouldn't fall behind. In fact, she was able to do double work at home so by the time Christmas comes around, she'll be finished with her degree! Rei jokingly said that if she knew having a baby would make her finish school this fast, she would have done it years ago, nearly making grandpa faint at the thought of her having a child so young.

Seeing Chad's side of the bed empty, she knew he was probably cleaning up around the shrine. Spring was still a few weeks away but the temperatures are warming up slowly, causing the ice to melt &amp; make slushy messes all over the place. It seems like almost daily there's dead leaves &amp; other gunk to clean up off the grounds. Rei used to help until he insisted she stay in to keep from overworking herself. The Knight in him will never go away.

She grabbed her robe &amp; secured it around herself to block out the drafty air as she wandered into the hallway towards her old room. Since finding out the baby was a girl, Chad &amp; Rei have done extensive remodeling. They put her leftover boxes in storage &amp; took down her idol posters to paint the room a soft peach color (she refused Usagi's suggestion of pink) with a few red &amp; purple space decals on the walls that glowed in the dark. Yes they were having a girl but she didn't want the stereotypical gender nonsense people pumped into society. She was keen on letting her daughter know that being a girl doesn't mean you have to be shoved into a box.

Her favorite decoration in the room was one Chad made himself. It was a small oval sign with the baby's name carved in the center; Miya. He made it as a surprise for Christmas after they found out the baby's gender. He knew right off the bat Rei would want to name the baby after her mother. Truthfully she did but she wanted to make sure Chad didn't have a name preference first before suggesting it. He's always so thoughtful when it came to sensitive matters. She promptly burst into happy tears when she opened the box. The wood was left plain because he wanted Rei to decorate it, so she painted it red with the letters in purple glitter paint &amp; placed it near the window so it would catch the light everyday at sunrise &amp; sunset.

This Miya would be different that her namesake, Rei was adamant about that. She would live a long life of purpose &amp; be well loved. Not that her mother wasn't loved but it seemed as if Rei's father in both times was barely there &amp; only saved face for important events. Little Miya would never be alone &amp; they would be there for every moment, whether she's unveiling a macaroni picture or accepting a nobel prize. Rei swore she would be there for it all.

Next to the sign on a small shelf was a picture of Rei &amp; Chad on their wedding day a few months ago. They had received a gorgeous antique silver frame from one of their wedding guests &amp; Rei used it for the nursery so Miya would always have her parents nearby. The picture was taken after the Shinto ceremony but just before the reception, so Chad was in his Gray suit &amp; Rei had on her red lace dress she had gotten over the summer.

Since the Shinto ceremony doesn't involve exchanging rings, they had a short 10 ceremony at the reception where they exchanged their own written vows &amp; rings they had picked for each other. This was special to them because they both agreed to keep the rings &amp; vows a secret from each other &amp; be surprised during the ceremony. Since they were already married, they just gave a speech thanking everyone for coming &amp; Mamoru held the mic for them as they exchanged their rings.

Rei found Chad's ring online from an independent seller in the United States. His was a wide hammered yellow gold ring with a smooth interior she had engraved with their names &amp; wedding date. The rough appearance was in homage to his past life. She knew he wasn't keen on fancy looking jewelry &amp; his family in the past were ironsmiths. She recalled him saying once that his father made wedding bands from iron scraps because he couldn't afford gold rings for him &amp; his future wife but insisted they have something to show their union. After she slid the ring onto his finger, she held his hand &amp; recited the vows she wrote for him.

"I choose you, Chad, to be my husband, as my friend and love. On this day I affirm the relationship we have enjoyed, looking to the future and to keep and strengthen it. I will be yours in plenty and in want, in sickness and in health, in failure and in triumph. Together, we will dream, and live as one while respecting one another, we will stumble but restore each other, we will share all things. I will cherish, comfort, and encourage you, be open with you, and stay with you as long as I shall live."

By the time Rei had finished speaking, Chad was wiping tears from his eyes. He knew the double meaning behind her words &amp; it touched him deeply to hear her say this, especially in front of all their friends &amp; family (&amp; a select few would get what she implied as well!). He gave her a kiss before opening his ring box &amp; presenting his ring to her.

Rei's ring is a white gold ring that looked like leaves &amp; vines encircling her finger. He picked this ring from a seller in the city because it reminded him that he had met Rei in the palace gardens &amp; he wanted to always remember their first encounter because that's when both of their lives changed for the better. After he placed his ring on Rei's hand, her held her tightly &amp; looked in her eyes as he began to say his vows.

"Rei, I promise to be faithful, supportive, and loyal and to give you my companionship and love throughout all the changes of our life. I vow to bring you happiness, and I will treasure you as my companion. I will celebrate the joys of life with you. I promise to support your dreams, and walk beside you offering courage and strength through all endeavors. From this day forward, I will be proud to be your wife/husband and your best friend."

When Chad finished speaking, there wasn't a dry eye in the room. The ceremony was simple but deeply symbolic &amp; unforgettable. Rei never felt more love in that one short moment than she did throughout her whole life &amp; it meant so much. Looking down at her rings, she smiled, finally feeling her two lives meld into one. Thinking back to her last day as Princess Rei, she remembers questioning how she can be more than one person at once but she didn't have to think about it. In truth, people are multifaceted beings; each side of her represents something different &amp; not all parts are seen by the world. She doesn't have to choose her identity, she's all of these figures in one. And soon she would add one more to the mix: mother.

She was shaken out of her thoughts by a shudder, followed by a cramp in her stomach. Catching herself on the window sill, she braced herself against the wall &amp; took a few deep breaths. These "practice contractions" were coming more frequently &amp; started to get more painful everyday. Something is different this time though. Rei felt something warm &amp; wet in her underwear that started running down her legs. Opening her robe, she saw a clear fluid trickling down her legs. Rei frowned, this cant be right! She had another two weeks before her due date! It wouldn't happen this early….

"Maybe it's just pee…", Rei said to herself, obviously in denial. As she stood up from the wall, she felt a gush of fluid between her legs that soaked her nightgown &amp; pooled onto the floor around her feet.

"Or not…."

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Author's note: I know, I know….I'm cruel to end it here! But I'm almost at 2,000 words just in free writing, so it's getting a little long! But don't worry, I wont leave you hanging for too long! I promise! My goal is to finish this before January because that's when school starts back up &amp; I will be super crazy busy again! Heck, I got this plot bunny at 4 in the morning because my son wont sleep. LOL I figured if he's going to keep me up all night, I may as well write while he's occupied by the Sound of Music Live. Hopefully this will be edited &amp; published before the weekend is over! The next chapter is the last one, so please don't miss it! :)

Also, as much as I would love to admit I'm that awesome, I didnt write the vows. They were written Bill Swetmon, an ordained nondenominational minister. I found them on ! They are non-denominational vows. I thought they fit each of them perfectly.


	5. Chapter 5: We becomes three!

Author's note: Here's the final chapter of Where you belong! I had a ball writing this &amp; the other Rei/Chad stories this year! Enjoy the baby's arrival! And Happy Thanksgiving week to everyone celebrating! :)

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Rei didn't know who was going to hurt himself first, grandpa or Chad. When she got to the front of the house, the two were sitting on the porch drinking coffee after finishing up the ground work. Her expression alone had them on their feet with both of them exclaiming "IT'S TIME!" before scrambling through the house yelling.

"Unbelievable….", Rei muttered shaking her head as she waddled back into their room. She put on a maternity sweater before drying off her legs, putting on fresh underwear &amp; a pair of leggings. She picked up her phone &amp; purse before heading out front &amp; going down the stairs. "I'm calling a cab. I'll meet you guys at the hospital!"

Chad, who was busy carting about 4 pieces of lugging down the hall, dropped the bags &amp; ran down after her. "Wait, I called Mamoru, he's coming to give us a ride. Aren't you excited?! Miya's coming! She's be here any second! Are you in pain? Do you need to sit? What can I do?!"

Rei tried not to laugh but a small giggle escaped her lips. "I need you to calm down &amp; get grandpa calm too. We have plenty of time before she gets here. Just because my water broke two weeks early doesn't mean she'll shoot out of me. Having a baby can take days".

"_**DAYS?!**_", Chad's face paled hearing those words.

"Oh God, Chad I was kidding! No doctor in their right mind would let me labor for days anymore. It's not safe", Rei assured him as she shook him by the shoulders.

Before Chad could respond, Mamoru ran up the steps of the shrine to meet up with the parents to be. After getting Rei settled in the car, they loaded up the luggage in the trunk &amp; got grandpa into the car before speeding off to the hospital.

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After getting Rei checked in at the labor &amp; delivery emergency room, a nurse came in to get Rei changed &amp; to check how dilated she was. To give her privacy, the men left the room &amp; sat in the maternity waiting area until the nurse was finished. Grandpa went to go make a few phone calls for Chad since he was too worked up think straight leaving the young fathers in the room alone.

"Usagi &amp; Chibi-Usa are at her parent's house but she promised to come by when her parents get home to babysit. The repairs on the apartment kept waking the baby at night so she's staying with them for the week", Mamoru said as he watched Chad nervously bounce his leg in the seat. "Would you relax? Rei is in good hands &amp; this is a great hospital. Usage didn't want to go home after having the baby here".

"I feel so useless! I don't know what to do, this is…well…technically it is my first kid but I don't want Rei to feel like she's doing it alone", Chad blurted out, frazzled &amp; on end.

Slapping a hand down on his knee, Mamoru stilled his moment &amp; looked him in the eye. "Let me tell you something, you're HERE. That's more than what some guys of our generation would do".

"Of course I'm here! Where the hell else would I be? I'd never leave Rei alone &amp; pregnant. For one thing, grandpa would have disemboweled me…" Chad exclaimed, feeling slightly angry thinking someone would think he'd be a careless jerk.

"Well yeah that too but still, some guys are just remiss when it comes to things like this. Yeah sure the woman is pregnant but up until the birth, all the work is on her. the real work for you begins the second your daughter cried. You have to protect them, help more around the house, keep Rei comfortable. It's not easy but it's so rewarding….even at 3 in the morning when you're burping the baby &amp; it throws up down your shirt or pees on you…" Mamoru said frowning ever so slightly at the end of his speech.

"…I thought Usagi had a girl?", Chad asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It really doesn't matter, they all have range! Chibi-Usa got piss all in my hair the first week we brought her home!"

Chad doubled over laughing at that last statement. He was nervous yes, but he couldn't wait for all of these moments. Part of him still grieved for the baby they lost in the previous lifetime. The one they only got to know in mind &amp; heart for a few days before they died. Every baby is different so he didn't want to think Miya was the same exact one as the one they lost but he couldn't help but wonder if they would have had a boy or girl back then. Hopefully they will have at least one of each in a few years.

The nurse came into the room holding a clipboard &amp; looking at the two men sitting next to each other. "Mr. Kumada? Mr. Chiba? Rei is all prepped, so you can go back into the room now!" she said with a smile.

Chad got up &amp; rushed over to the nurse, scanning her name tag. "Thank you…Carrie. How is she?"

"Rei is doing very well. We gave her a mild IV pain reliever &amp; she's 4 centimeters dilated, so it may not be too much longer. We'll see how she progresses over the next few hours. Is this your first baby?"

"Yes. It's a girl! Her name will be Miya! His daughter is named Chibi-Usa" Chad said excitedly pointing to Mamoru. "She's 4 months old!"

"Oh how sweet! We had another couple here a few weeks ago for the birth of their baby! It was so sweet! Actually it was twins, one from each of them &amp; the babies had the same surrogate mother. It they had fraternal boy/girl twins! Anyway, I best file these papers for the doctor now. I'll be back shortly!" Carrie gave them another smile &amp; walked down the hall.

Chad was giddy with excitement as he looked at Mamoru, who had a look of shock on his face. Thinking for a moment at what he told the nurse, he yelped &amp; looked around for her. "Wait a second! You got the wrong idea! We're both married!"

Mamoru face palmed himself hearing Chad talk again. "You're making it worse…."

Chad glared back at him. "I meant we're married to other women, not each other! **CARRIE**!"

"Just shut up!" Mamoru said as he pushed him into Rei's room &amp; shut the door.

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Rei was sitting up in bed watching the news when Chad stumbled in. Looking over at him, she saw his disheveled appearance &amp; chuckled. "How is it you look worse than me &amp; I'm about to have a baby? Is something wrong?"

Chad shook his head. "No, it's fine. And you look beautiful, as always". He leaned in &amp; gave her a kiss before rubbing her stomach. "Don't take too long ok? You have lots of visitors coming!"

"I've been meditating. It wont be too much longer. But I was seriously contemplating making her an only child before I got that pain medicine…." Rei said in a serious tone. "They don't call this labor for nothing…."

"Well…they said in that pregnancy book you got from the doctor that each pregnancy gets easier &amp; the labors wont be that bad. And each baby has their own personality" Chad recalled, scratching the back of his head looking embarrassed.

"I knew you were reading that book &amp; I love you for it…_**OW!**_" Rei screamed feeling a strong contraction. She grabbed the bedrails &amp; bit her lip as she closed her eyes to ride out the pain.

"Is there anything I can do?! I don't know what to do! But whatever you want, I will!" Chad exclaimed while fanning her, the least he could do at the moment.

"Just sit….I'm fine. Justdont leave me!" Rei said in a whimper. It broke his heart to hear her so vulnerable &amp; scared.

"I wont, ever!", Chad said as he gently plied her right hand off the bed rail &amp; held it tightly in both of his.

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The rest of the labor went smoothly. As the contractions got more intense, the nurse gave Rei a higher dose of medicine to take the edge off the contractions but not enough to numb her so she could still deliver naturally. The nurse jokily called it "Vein champagne" because of the medication's effects.

After taking a nap late in the afternoon, Rei turned over to see Chad fast asleep in the recliner next to the bed. His tall frame looked contorted in the chair &amp; Rei felt bad. The poor man refused to eat while Rei was in labor because she couldn't have anything &amp; the active labor room didn't have the sofa &amp; recliner that the maternity suites did, so he had to curl up in hard wooden chair. She hated to wake him but she had to use the bathroom badly &amp; the medicine was making her shaky. Reaching over, she gently patted his leg making him jump to his feet.

"Is she here?! What?! huh?!" Chad spun around looking at the dimly lit room for the medical team.

Rei groaned, feeling worse but shook her head. "Sorry…I just have to pee. Can you help me please?"

The exhausted knight hurried around to let the bed rail down &amp; help Rei slide to her feet. "Take it easy, you look drunk…."

"Trust me, I feel that way too. Except I wont throw up, that's one improvement. Maybe when we party, we should just take this drug instead!" Rei said with a giggle. She was a bit woozy in the head too but at least she wasn't hurting as bad.

He helped her into the bathroom &amp; on the toilet before leaving to give her privacy. Figuring she would be a few minutes, he decided to busy himself by straightening the bed linens &amp; pillows. Rei's bed didn't look much better than the chair he had to sit in; he hoped they would be done soon so she could rest comfortably.

"Chad, get in here now!", Rei screamed from the bathroom.

Throwing the pillow in his hands, he ran across the room &amp; threw the door open to see Rei on her knees in the bathroom. Dropping down beside her, his arm circled her back to help her up when Rei shrugged her off.

"There's no time, you have to catch her!", Rei whispered.

Chad blushed bright red hearing those words. "**HUH?!**"

"Catch the baby! I felt her sliding out when I was standing!", Rei cried as she felt contractions hit back to back &amp; shook at the pain.

Chad lifted up the hospital gown to see the baby's head &amp; shoulders &amp; cupped his hands to grab her. Rei made one final push &amp; Miya came sliding out into her father's hands. Falling back against the wall, Rei panted to catch her breath as she felt the umbilical cord follow after. She pressed the button for help on the wall as she watched Chad hold the baby.

Looking at the baby, Chad was in shock. Even covered in bloody slime &amp; other things he couldn't begin to understand, she was perfect. Ten fingers &amp; toes, all her other features in place. He jumped a bit when she opened her eyes &amp; he saw perfect clear blue ones staring back at him. "Oh God, Rei she's beautiful!" he yelled out. Realizing she hasn't seen her yet, he placed the baby on her chest.

Carrie wandered into the bathroom thinking Rei needed help off the toilet &amp; let out a yelp of shock herself at the scene. "Oh my goodness! Did she fall? When did the baby come out?"

"No, I felt her sliding out when I was standing but I got on the floor &amp; Chad caught her. It was just a minute ago", Rei told her, feeling completely drained but thoroughly happy at the same time.

"Stay right there, I'll get the doctor immediately!", Carried said as she rushed out the door &amp; down the hall to the nurse's station.

Chad smiled at his girls &amp; stroked Miya's wet hair. "You know, if you wanted to have the baby this way, we could have done it at home for free", he smirked at his wife as he dodged a punch.

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After the doctor came in, cut Miya's cord &amp; delivered the placenta, Carrie helped Rei clean up in the bathroom while Chad stayed with Miya. When the L&amp;D aide brought the newborn back after her bath, Chad examined her carefully. Baby Miya was definitely a clone of him, except for Rei's nose &amp; rosy lips. He even saw the wild mess of brown hair on her head after he moved her hat. moving back over to the bed, he sat on the side &amp; handed Miya to her mother.

Rei held the little girl close &amp; kisses her nose. "Hello sweetie…I'm your mommy". Watching the little girl sleep brought her peace in a way she couldn't form into words. The past was finally over &amp; their future together can truly begin now. They were a family &amp; that's all that matters. Looking at Chad, she leaned in &amp; kissed him.

"We have to fill out the paperwork before the lady from the county comes back in the morning" Chad said as he opened a brown hospital folder after returning her kiss. "Should we give her a middle name? I know it's not common but I'd like her to have one. Maybe an English name?'

"How about Chadette? She looks mostly like you anyway" Rei said with a serious face.

Chad frowned &amp; shook his head, sending his hair all over the place. "NO!"

"Ok ok, relax. How about….Elizabeth?" Rei suggested.

"E..lizaybet?" Chad tried to sound it out but it was heard to say than he thought. Rei's English was better than his since she went to an English speaking high school &amp; then went to college.

"If it's too hard, you can pick something else", Rei told him.

"Well…I do like Alice. You know, from the book?", Chad said recalling an old children's book from school that was written in English.

"Miya Alice Kumada…I love it", Rei told his as she brushed a bit of hair out of Miya's face.

SM*SM*SM*SM

A/N: OMG! I feel like crying right now! The story is officially over! What will I do with myself now!? Aside from refreshing my log in page constantly to stalk my favorite stories. XD Who knows, maybe I'll get inspiration for another future fic?

Anyway, Thanks for reading &amp; encouraging me in my reviews! I appreciate it so much! Love you guys!


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